1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a honeycomb structural body and, more particularly, it relates to a honeycomb structural body which can preferably be used as a catalyst carrier and onto which a large amount of catalyst can be loaded while maintaining a strength of the body.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, there has been suggested an exhaust gas purifying device in which a catalyst for purification is loaded onto a catalyst carrier, to remove components such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) from an exhaust gas to be purified discharged from stationary engines for an automobile and a construction machine, an industrial stationary engine, a combustion apparatus and the like. As this catalyst carrier for the exhaust gas purifying device, there is used, for example, a honeycomb structural body including porous partition walls arranged to form a plurality of cells which become through channels of a fluid (see e.g. Patent Documents 1 and 2). The catalyst for purification is loaded onto the surfaces of the porous partition walls of the honeycomb structural body and into pores thereof.
In recent years, it has been considered that porosities of the partition walls of the honeycomb structural body are raised to increase the amount of the catalyst to be loaded onto the honeycomb structural body.